Publications

December 1999
Case

Sun Microsystems, Inc. (A3): Network Computer: Robert Gianni on Answering the Skeptics

By: Rosabeth M. Kanter and Jane Roessner

The concept behind the network computer (NC) at Sun Microsystems, Inc. was simple: bringing workstation performance to the desktop. Recent technological breakthroughs and changes in the marketplace made the NC project timely. But internal and external skeptics wondered... View Details

Keywords: Information Infrastructure; Technology Adoption; Fluctuation; Risk and Uncertainty; Technology Industry; Computer Industry

January 1993 (Revised June 1995)
Case

Arbitrage in the Government Bond Market?

Documents a pricing anomaly in the large and liquid treasury bond market. The prices of callable treasury bonds seem to be inconsistent with the prices of noncallable treasuries and an arbitrage opportunity appears to exist. Permits instructors to introduce the... View Details

Keywords: Bonds; Price; Valuation; Capital Markets

September – October 2011
Article

Managing the Multiple Dimensions of Risk-Part II: The Office of Risk Management

By: Anette Mikes and Robert S. Kaplan

In the second article of our two-part series, we explore the concept of an Office of Risk Management along with a case study of an innovative risk management function at JP Morgan Private Bank. We also look at the "softer" components of risk management, including a... View Details

Keywords: Banks and Banking; Innovation and Invention; Management Style; Managerial Roles; Risk Management

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May 1993 (Revised December 1997)
Background Note

Internationalization of Services, Module Note, The

Many industry-leading service providers are expanding internationally, with varying degrees of success. This note presents a framework for understanding the managerial challenges facing service firms as they enter foreign markets. In particular, focuses on key... View Details

Keywords: Service Operations; Cross-Cultural and Cross-Border Issues; Service Industry

01 Jan 2012
News

Gingrich's frightening fiscal fantasies

Teaching

Overview

Technology and Operations – MBA Required Curriculum This course enables students to develop the skills and concepts needed to ensure the ongoing contribution of a firm's operations to its competitive position. It helps them to understand the complex processes... View Details

2010
Working Paper

Conceptual Foundations of the Balanced Scorecard

By: Robert S. Kaplan

David Norton and I introduced the Balanced Scorecard in a 1992 Harvard Business Review article (Kaplan & Norton, 1992). The article was based on a multi-company research project to study performance measurement in companies whose intangible assets played a central role... View Details

Keywords: Asset Management; Balanced Scorecard; Management Systems; Performance Improvement; Strategy

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August 2002
Other Article

The Determinants of National Innovative Capacity

By: Jeffrey L. Furman, Michael E. Porter and Scott Stern

Motivated by differences in innovation intensity across advanced economies, this paper presents an empirical examination of the determinants of country-level production of international patents. We introduce a novel framework based on the concept of national innovative... View Details

Keywords: Economics; Growth and Development

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October 1981 (Revised June 1985)
Case

Walton Instruments Manufacturing--1980

Provides an opportunity for students to examine the impact of different manufacturing control methods on the manufacturing infrastructure. Information flow, inventory control, quality control and process flows interact and different trade-offs are examined. Introduces... View Details

Keywords: Quality; Production; Management Practices and Processes; Infrastructure

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Research Summary

Cultural Entrepreneurship and the Business of the Arts

By: Rohit Deshpande

A more recent research program focuses on creating and managing ventures connected with the arts and culture. This research extends the concept of Customer-Centricity into the context of Audience Engagement. This primarily case-based work explores how successful... View Details

November 1990 (Revised August 1996)
Background Note

Sampling and Statistical Inference

By: Arthur Schleifer Jr.

An introduction to sampling and statistical inference that covers the main concepts (confidence intervals, tests of statistical significance, choice of sample size) that are needed in making inferences about a population mean or percent. Includes discussion of problems... View Details

Keywords: Mathematical Methods; Forecasting and Prediction; Demographics

August 2005 (Revised April 2015)
Background Note

Employment At Will: A Legal Perspective

By: Lynn S. Paine and Christopher M. Bruner

Provides a brief overview of the employment-at-will doctrine, an important concept unique to the U.S. legal system and business landscape. Briefly surveys the history and development of this doctrine and certain limitations and exceptions to it, as well as some of the... View Details

Keywords: Business History; Resignation and Termination; Employment; Common Law; Laws and Statutes; Business and Government Relations; United States